1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microscope, and more particularly to a confocal type laser scan microscope.
2. Related Background Art
A prior art confocal type laser scan microscope comprises a microscope optical system as well as a laser beam illumination system and a photo-detecting system for detecting a light from a sample surface. The design is such that a laser beam emitting point and a corresponding point of a co-focus aperture (pinhole) of the photo-detecting system are at conjugate positions relative to the microscope optical system.
In the prior art confocal type laser scan microscope, the laser beam illumination system and the photo-detecting system for detecting the light from the sample surface are separately required in addition to the microscope optical system. Thus, the optical system is large in size and complex. Further, because the laser beam emitting point and the corresponding point of the co-focus aperture (pinhole) of the photo-detecting system must be at the conjugate positions, a long time is required to position them.